Movie Review of The Conjuring (2013)

Ed and Lorraine Warren were famous paranormal investigators from New England, USA. 'The Conjuring' chronicles the terrifying case of an entity in the Perron home.

I'll be honest. I watched this film in daylight. I hadn't meant to. I'd had it all set up and ready to go the night before. But then I jumped three times just watching the trailer.

Perhaps I'm just a coward. In my defense, I had someone tell me that it was the scariest film that she'd ever watched. A host of reviews told me that otherwise hardened, desensitized horror movie fans were professing fear over this one.

I watched it in daylight. It took the edge off the creepy atmosphere, but still provided enough to get my heart racing at times. It's not the most frightening film ever produced, but it's good enough.

Ed and Lorraine Warren: Ghost-hunters

Anyone with a keen interest in paranormal investigations will have encountered the Warrens at some time.

They were a real husband and wife team involved in some of the best recorded American hauntings of the late 20th century. The Conjuring highlights a couple of their cases.

Ed Warren died in 2006, but Lorraine Warren was a consultant on the movie. She even played a cameo role, as her own mother.

Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson (pictured left) were welcomed into the Warren home. They spent several days there, as Lorraine's guests, learning private details about the couple, in order to portray them on screen. Vera was able to study Lorraine's actual mannerisms and intonation, as the lady was right there.

In addition, the actors were able to step inside a museum of haunted objects, which features heavily in the movie. It's located inside the Warren home.

But it wasn't Ed and Lorraine Warren's house which was the subject of The Conjuring. It was another in Harrisville, Rhode Island. What haunted the Perron family wasn't at all pleasant.

Official Trailer for The Conjuring (2013)

The Perron House Haunting in Rhode Island

If you liked The Amityville Horror, then you will love this movie.

Roger and Carolyn Perron worked hard to secure their beautiful country home.

They moved in, with their five young daughters, seeing only the lovely aspect, the scenery, the fresh air and the large amount of rooms in which to spread out.

What they hadn't counted upon was that the property wasn't entirely vacant.

Within hours - before they'd even made headway with the unpacking - the phenomena had begun. It was subtle, but didn't stay that way for long.

The Conjuring on Amazon Instant Video

The Conjuring: Official Main Trailer

The Conjuring: Not Just Another Amityville Horror Remake

New England, haunted house, fleeing family... haven't we all seen this before?

It's become a cinematic trope now. The family besieged by ghosts and/or demonic entities in their home, usually to the point of fleeing, is way too familiar on the silver screen.

In many ways, The Conjuring brings nothing new to the table. Just about every one of those scares has a precedent somewhere in the annals of classic horror movies.

There's even a possessed doll (based on the real life Annabelle case), which has shades of Chucky.

Nevertheless, this movie feels different. There's something quite wonderful in the fact that not every bump in the night is supernatural in origin. There's even the occasional dash of comic relief.

All of this serves to keep the viewer on edge. When we can't guess whether something will jump out or not, then we're startled every time. There's just enough, perfectly paced, to keep the momentum going. A truly quality paranormal movie.

Moreover, the acting is very convincing. I had goose-bumps watching Christine (Joey King) react to a figure, which only she could see. Hell! I believed her! She genuinely seemed that afraid.

My recommendation is not to write The Conjuring off as just another Amityville trope. It's much, much more than that.

Historical Accuracy in The Conjuring Movie

The trouble with dramatizing a well known tale is that we already know what happened to the Perron family.

We've been reading about it in books for years. Andrea Perron - the eldest daughter - has a two volume book out telling everything that occurred. It's included in most books by or about the Warrens too.

Director James Wan, and his script-writers, pretty much took the essence of that story and turned it into something condensed and polished.

Twelve years worth of terror got compressed into about a single week. Most of the myriad of ghostly sightings were missed out. Other events were added in, which I don't recall ever encountering in these tellings.

However, the Perron girls (now all adults) have professed themselves fine with the streamlining and additions, so it would be peevish of me to complain on their behalf!

What did annoy me though was the portrayal of a famous witch event in New England. I can't say more without incurring a spoiler.

Let me just say, as a Pagan, that witchcraft does not look like that, particularly the history highlighted in the movie. If there was any truth in the potential origin of the haunting uncovered, then the individual concerned was almost certainly not a witch.

I'm not saying that The Conjuring isn't frightening - it is - but the trailer is much more so. I didn't jump nearly so much when it was all spread out, as I did in those condensed moments. You may be fine.

The trailer had my nerves on edge so I don't know if I could sit through this movie. I may buy the book instead! I need an interesting one to read. I like that you always include that Bechdel test and it's nice to know this one passes.